<p>I am looking for suggestions for this. My daughter has a list (and posts here too so she will be reading this thread) but the list is so long and we need to figure out a better starting point and also do not want to leave out a good school worth considering.</p>
<p>Oberlin, Rice, UC Boulder, UT Austin, Northwestern are on her lists. Her current top pick is Washington University. But then..beyond this, there is just a long long list. She has schools that my husband and I attended, or grandparents did, but we are thinking they are not likely the best picks (these would include Carleton College, U of Chicago, Rice University, plus a cousin who went to Stanford and another who went to Washington University). </p>
<p>As you can see, our list is so "all over the place" and we do not have that much direction right now. Thank you so much in advance for your help!!</p>
<p>Is your daughter primarily interested in academics, or is she planning to major in performance? Some of the schools on her list (Oberlin, Rice, UC Boulder, UT Austin, Northwestern) are schools with performance majors, but others (Carleton College, U of Chicago, Wash U) sound like academic schools where she would play strings on the side, or perhaps for credit, but not as a performance major. Violists are always in demand, so if she is planning to go to an academic school, her viola playing will be an asset of course! In which area are her academic interests?</p>
<p>As the parent of two violists, welcome! It sounds as if your D is looking at liberal arts schools that may also have strong music programs? Is she looking to double major? Bard College might fit the bill as a liberal arts college that also has a conservatory - con students all must double major, but you can also participate in music as a non-conservatory student. My D2 is a photo/literature major there and has been able to be as active as she wants to be with weekly lessons (free), orchestra and chamber groups.</p>
<p>lmkh70, if your daughter is interested in a performance major, I suggest you have a look at the first dozen or so posts in the thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html</a> if you have not already done so. The schools you mention are all over the map in terms of their music programs and the opportunities she would have at each. It is very important to decide what kind of outcome she wants when selecting a music school and choose accordingly.</p>
<p>Welcome, fellow viola parent! Is your daughter a junior? BassDad’s thread recommendation is a fantastic place to start. Another is this very informative piece by the head of admissions at Peabody: [Peabody</a> Institute - Conservatory Admissions: The Double Degree Dilemma](<a href=“http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree]Peabody”>http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree). </p>
<p>The one thing I wish I had known when my D was a junior is to try to schedule sample lessons with teachers at every school your child is seriously considering. A tour just isn’t enough! There are only so many practice rooms you can look at before they all look alike. </p>
<p>Lots of other things to consider–BA vs BM, small vs. large, city vs rural, support for a double major… My D had a strong preference for a music school within a university with strong academics in a large city, so that helped winnow down the list (she’s going to McGill). If your D prefers a smaller school, many people on this board can talk about the strengths of the music programs at Oberlin, Bard and Lawrence. Re: LACs and universities with strong BA music programs, my D knows some very good musicians at Williams and at Yale.</p>
<p>She wants to major in performance. She wants to play for a symphony some day. Sad to say, I am not sure how reasonable this is. She has not been playing for a long time, but she has been putting her all in to it. Last summer, she went to Interlochen. This upcoming summer, we cannot fit Interlochen in so she will likely be doing a different program. She has a great instructor who has a master’s degree from Julliard. </p>
<p>To add to the problem, we are not wealthy. We pour most of our disposable income in to her lessons and camps and such. When it comes to college, she needs to go to a place with good financial aid. I understand she likely won’t get a fullride anywhere, but some help is needed.</p>
<p>I am sure she would be extremely happy to be at a conservatory. I am just not thinking we can afford one. But academically, she is fit for many competitive schools.</p>
<p>Now I am off to read Bassdad’s link! Thanks!</p>
<p>If you have financial need there are a number of good music programs which will meet full need. She is also more likely to get larger merit awards, too, if there is financial need. I would not worry about financing her education until after you see the offers - although it is always wise to have one option which you know absolutely up front you could afford (if that is possible.) Have her keep up her grades, as well - top musician, top academics, and financial need usually equals very good financial offers. For instance, on your list - Oberlin, Rice and Northwestern all are likely to be affordable if she’s accepted.</p>
<p>As a string player, CIM should definitely be on her list; her teachers would hold chairs in the Cleveland Orchestra, so the connections are valuable. As a matter of fact, one undergrad viola player subbed in with the Orchestra for a large part of last season, even going on the group’s tours to NYC and Europe. Yes, the school is very expensive, but good financial aid is available; they do take good grades into consideration and they factor into the awards package. Double majoring (at Case Western) is possible, but it usually takes an extra year, and aid is available from that side also. PM me should you have any questions.</p>
<p>Have you talked to your D’s teacher about this? And more importantly, does he/she seem to know about the current situation with music schools, the level and so forth? Without specifically talking about your D’s teacher, because a teacher came out of Juilliard or Curtis or wherever doesn’t mean they necessarily know what is out there right now. especially if they got their masters degree a while ago, the music world has changed a lot in recent decades and even year to year things can change, as programs upgrade, teachers leave (or pass along in other ways) and so forth. One thing others find helpful and I have seen work for more then a few kids might be to seek out a current teacher at a relatively high level program to see how she stacks up, to get an idea of where she is in terms of level. Though Viola in some ways is less competitive then other strings like violin and cello, it is still extremely competitive and especially if she started late it may be wise to see where she is this way. Between that and what her teacher says you should have a more clear picture of where she may want to look:)</p>